BEAST (32 page)

“Yes, Ma’am.”
It seemed a stupid response and even stupider that he’d rushed all this way only to be standing right outside of her door blocked by a mother he’d never met and that knew pitifully little about him. He held out his hand and she gave it a tentative shake.

“Come in,” she finally said, realizing that he was waiting for her to allow him in.  “I’m so sorry. Ashleigh never mentioned that you were so…big.”
What Ashleigh had actually told her mother, only upon learning that Christopher was alright and coming home, was that he
had a cleft palate and not to be
alarmed.
But maybe she should have mentioned that he was a giant. “Ashleigh’s father had to leave and Ashleigh is in bed resting. Go in, she’s exhausted but keeps fighting sleep waiting for you.”

Christopher nodded and hurried into Ashleigh’s bedroom. The shades were drawn and the room was dim. Ashleigh was curled up under her blankets with just her golden brown hair showing. He could see that she was sleeping and he lingered in the doorway a moment, not able to move, just drinking in the sight of her. God but he’d missed her.

He eased forward so that he wouldn’t wake her, and worried how she would react to the sight of his bandaged face. But as soon as he stepped forward Ashleigh’s eyes opened and she turned sleepily in his direction.

She scrambled up in bed and gasped. He held up his hands.

“Don’t worry. I’m okay, Sweetheart.” He said quickly. “I just got reconstructive surgery.”

She climbed out of bed and hurried to him throwing her arms around his large body. “Where were you? Why didn’t you come home? I was so scared!”

He allowed his hands to roam her body as he held her, but not in a sexual way. He was alarmed by her weight loss.

“Ashleigh…what happened?”

“Your face…” She stared up at him in disbelief. His entire head was completely wrapped!

“Honey, you’ve lost so much weight…”

Ashleigh ran her hands over his chest and arms. “You have too.” Then she hugged him again and he held on to her, wanting to kiss her but not able to because despite the fact that his face didn’t have stitches, his lips did. He had
peeked
and they were nasty looking with black threads poking out.

He gripped her shoulders and gently pulled her back so that he could look at her. He’d seen her when she had first come into the gym. She was a pretty girl that was overweight. Now it was
nine months
later and she wasn’t overweight at all. She was wearing sweatpants and a t-shirt that hugged her curvy body.

He couldn’t stop st
aring. She looked fantastic but he didn’t like seeing her like this if it was at the risk of her
health.

“What did you do to your face? Why? Christopher you didn’t do it for me, did you? Because I love you just as you are—”

“I know you do, Sweetheart.” He pulled her into his arms. He had to hold her. He gently rubbed his hands down her back feeling her shiver. His body tensed and began to react but he pushed down his desire for her.

“I couldn’t go on that mission. I couldn’t risk it. I kept thinking…what if I get hurt? What if I can’t come back to you?” Ashleigh held her breath as she thought about Christopher’s Commander. Did he know?

“You didn’t go on a mission?” She looked up at him, clinging to him possessively.

“Sweetheart, I told you all of this in the message-”

“Baby!
I couldn’t make out a damn thing you were saying! I had no idea…”

He blanched. “
What? You didn’t know that…Oh Ashley.
I’m so sorry
!
And when I didn’t come home…” He had no idea that they didn’t understand that he had never been in combat. Yeah, he knew that they would worry as he hadn’t come home Monday as planned but he had never considered that they didn’t know
that he
was never in any danger of not returning home to them. The worry that they must have faced
when he didn’t return Monday
would have been unimaginable. They would have truly thought he was dead.

He immediately explained about approaching his commander with his request for the surgery. Bruc
e had told him about the possible surgeries that he could get, all paid for by the military
,
when he’d first set eyes on the severely scarred man. He’d done the research for him and when Christopher declined he told him that he would make it happen for him if he ever changed his mind.

When Christopher came to him with the request he knew that his medical needs would take precedence. He’d made the calls and told Christopher that the surgical crew was very interested in his case and could assemble a surgical team immediately.

Everything had happened fast after that. He wouldn’t be allowed back on the
active duty roster for six months
and by that time
he
figured he
would have another position.

“Had Bruce not been such an all-around good guy, I would have never been able to pull that off. I would have been made to put in my request for surgery after my mission. But he knew that I’d put in my request to be taken off active duty well before the mission even came up.”

Ashleigh looked away at the mention of Bruce. She met his eyes. “Baby, I don’t know how to tell you this but Bruce
Kopeke
got hurt during the mission. He’s in ICU
and he’s expected to survive
. I talked to your friend TK earlier to tell him that you were okay. He said that the Commander was in Ft Campbell. The guys are going down to see him and TK told me to tell you that they were all going to be waiting for you.”

Though he wasn’t supposed to, Christopher’s found himself frowning beneath his bandages.
The Commander had been hurt doing his job…and now the guys were
waiting for him…He blinked back his guilt. He needed to call down to Ft. Campbell later, but for now Ashleigh was all that he could think about.

“What happened to you, Sweetheart? Was it your diabetes?”

Her face transformed immediately. He’d never seen her with such a look. She took his hands and held them. “I had too much insulin in my system. The doctor has taken me off of it. I’ve lost enough weight to be able to take just one pill once a day.” She smiled softly. “I do have to check my blood sugar levels more often now. The doctor said I’m at high risk because of the baby. But after the pregnancy I might not even need medication at all.”

“Because of the baby?”

She nodded with a smile. “Sorry that everyone else knows before you.” Christopher was frozen and she had no idea what his expression was. “When I was brought into the hospital I was out of it. Your Mom was there, my mom and Dad, Kendra and Lance. And the doctors just assumed that they all knew. So…they knew even before I did.” She smiled nervously. “So...I’m two months…I guess our going away celebration was-”

Christopher’s eyes blinked and his mouth had grown dry and his legs weak. He was a man that had brought other men to their knees with nothing more than a few well placed blows of his fist. He was a man that had endured the physical torture of having his face basically peeled back and his skull rebuilt. He’d seen his brother buried, felt loneliness so vivid that he swore it had a taste.

And this man went to his knees before the woman he loved, gently pushed up her shirt exposing her brown belly, flat now, yet still a sanctuary for his child. He placed his head against her warm flesh. He wasn’t supposed to smile but he did.

Ashleigh’s hands moved to his shoulders. And he lifted his head and looked at her.

“Marry me Ashleigh. Marry me and I’ll never disappoint you. I’ll never give you a moment to worry or to wonder. I’ll devote my life to making you happy; you and our baby.” He looked at her in complete devotion. “We made a little baby…”

She smiled and giggled. “It wasn’t that hard either, was it?”

“I don’t know about you but I was working pretty hard.”

She stared into his bandaged face. “I’m all yours, Christopher Jameson. I’ll be yours for as long as you want me. I want to be your wife more than anything in the world, and the mother to your children.” He stood slowly.

“Your…Mom is still out there?”

“Well, she’s probably listening at the door.” He took her hand and led her to the bed.

“Get back in bed, Sweetheart. I want you to rest.” Ashleigh pouted. Her body was already slick and ready for him.

“By myself?”
She asked.

“Get some rest,” was his answer as he tucked the covers around her, “because I intend to wear you out as soon as you wake up.” Her lips tugged upward at the corners in pleasure.

“Okay.”

His hand lingered on her shoulder. “I wish I could kiss you.” He allowed his hand to stroke her cheek. Her skin was so soft. “I have to call and find out when I can get these bandages removed!” And he needed to call his family…ah; his family. That is what his mother had been alluding to. He had a much bigger family now; including the woman that had given birth to the love of his life—his soon to be mother-in-law, who was out there either listening at the door or cooling her heels waiting for him to come out.

He stroked the stray strands of Ashleigh’s hair. “I’ll be back in a bit. Get some sleep, okay?”

Now that Christopher was here, Ashleigh allowed her body to relax and she nodded as her eyes closed. 

~***~

When Ashleigh awoke, it was to find
herself
snuggled against Christopher’s large sleeping form. She burrowed against him deeper being careful not to awaken him and reveling in the ‘Christopher’ smell that she had missed. She had also missed having her favorite ‘pillow’ to snuggle up to.

Her poor baby must have been exhausted. He was sleeping soundly on his back with his arm around her. She could see the steady rise and fall of his chest and hear his soft snores. As some point he had showered because he was no longer wearing fatigues but had changed into work-out pants and a t-shirt that he had left behind.

Without moving she studied his bandaged face. She absolutely couldn’t see a thing. He was wrapped like a mummy, not even his hair was visible. She was tempted to tug a bandage aside as she was intensely curious about the changes he had undergone. Two months of reconstructive surgery would have surely changed him completely.

There was something slightly scary about that. She had more than grown accustomed to his facial features…she had grown to love them. Ashleigh’s eyes scanned the rest of his body.
Mmmm
.
Now this hadn’t changed much. He was a bit leaner but even with clothes she could see the lines of his tight muscles.

Though she knew that she should allow him to sleep, she couldn’t help but to allow her hands to lightly roam his body. His arm around her suddenly tightened at the same time that his breathing changed.

“Missed waking up to that…” He murmured.

“Sorry I woke you. I think you needed the sleep.” He stroked her arm and muffled a yawn before glancing at the clock. It was just after 1 pm. He’d gotten a couple hours of sleep which is all he needed in order to rejuvenate. He looked at Ashleigh and tried not to smile, though it was tough. This little lady had definitely broken down every one of his barriers.

“Did you sleep well?”

She snuggled against him. “
Mhm
. Best sleep I’ve had in weeks.” She touched his chin gently. “When can these come off?”

“
When I talked to the doc before I left he said they had to be removed by a surgeon.
”

She frowned. “Are you in pain?”

He shrugged. “Tolerable.”

“Well I have Motrin in the-”